McCutchen, Alvarez Lead Pirates In 11-2 Win Over Brewers

PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 17: Andrew McCutchen #22 of the Pittsburgh Pirates grounds into a fielder's choice to shortstop scoring Starling Marte #6 in the seventh inning against the Milwaukee Brewers during the game at PNC Park April 17, 2014 in Pittsburgh.

(Photo Credit: Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Andrew McCutchen hit his first homer of the season and drove in three runs, Pedro Alvarez had a three-run shot and pinch-hitter Josh Harrison broke a tie with a long ball in the seventh inning as the Pittsburgh Pirates handed the Milwaukee Brewers their first road loss, 11-2 on Thursday night.

Harrison’s two-run drive down the left field line off Rob Wooten (0-1) was the second of his career as a pinch hitter. It stared Pittsburgh’s nine-run outburst over the seventh and eighth innings that was capped by Alvarez’s sixth of the year.

McCutchen, last year’s NL MVP, hit a two-run homer in the first inning in his 57th at-bat.

Gaby Sanchez also connected while Alvarez, Starling Marte, Russell Martin and Jordy Mercer each had two of the Pirates’ 12 hits.

Edinson Volquez (1-0) gave up two runs in seven innings for his first win with the Pirates, scattering eight hits.

Jonathan Lucroy and Scooter Gennett had two hits each for Milwaukee, which had won its first six road games. The Brewers have lost three of four since a nine-game winning streak.

Wooten relieved starter Yovani Gallardo to start the seventh. Harrison connected when he was pinch-hitting for Volquez, who signed a one-year, $5-milion contract with the Pirates in December as a free agent.

Volquez struck out three and walked one. His 5.72 ERA last season with the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers was the worst among the 81 major league pitchers who qualified for the ERA title.

Gallardo allowed two runs and three in six innings with four walks and six strikeouts. However, Wooten allowed three runs while getting only one out and rookie left-hander Wei-Chung Wang was hammered for six runs in 2-3 of an inning as the Brewers bullpen’s ERA rose from a major league-best 1.33 to 3.16.

After Harrison’s homer put the Pirates ahead 4-2, McCutchen made it a three-run lead with a fielder’s choice grounder.

Pittsburgh turned the game into a rout with a six-run eighth inning that included homers by Alvarez and Sanchez, an RBI double by pinch-hitter Jose Tabata and a run-scoring single by Russell Martin.

McCutchen’s home run had put the Pirates ahead 2-1 after Milwaukee’s Aramis Ramirez singled in a run in the top of the first inning.

The Brewers pulled into a 2-all tie on an RBI single by Lucroy in the second.